The values in this report are preliminary, and the final counts and results will change as tornado events are investigated and confirmed. This month’s report will not be updated with final statistics. For final information please visit the following sites:

According to data from the Storm Prediction Center, the count of preliminary tornado reports during May — 139 — was much below the 1991-2010 average of 276. May is typically the most active tornado month during the year. This marks the slowest May, in terms of the number of tornadoes since 2005, when 124 tornadoes were confirmed. Once the final tornado count is confirmed, it is likely the May 2012 count will be revised lower. There were no tornado-related fatalities reported during the month, the first time since 2005. The largest outbreak of the month occurred across south Texas on May 10th, when there were 20 preliminary tornado reports, with only minimal damage reported.

Citing This Report

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Tornadoes for May 2012, published online June 2012, retrieved on December 13, 2017 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/tornadoes/201205.